Friday, August 21, 2009

Some writers seem entwined with their age. One reads the profile ofan entire period in them. Their work displays the best and the worstof an entire epoch. Firaq Gorakhpuri too was such a poet. He belongedso completely to the twentieth century - with all its splendours andmiseries. In the opening years of the new millenium, wondering whatshape and form of literature will emanate from this great unknown, wereflect on the age which has just concluded.If for this purpose somebody wants to de-code the twentieth century,then Firaq could well be a natural choice for a figure to start from.He seems so much at home in his time and age. He symbolizes itsstrengths and embodies its deficiencies and contradictions, not somuch characterizing as characteristic of the age which gave letter andspirit to his work and was in turn reflected in it. AUTHOR: Firaq Gorakhpuri: Man of his age By Asif Farrukhi

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano recently highlighted her department’s efforts to reach out to build "stronger relationships with Arab and Muslim Americans, as well as South Asian communities across the country,” seemingly reflecting an awareness of how the war on terror has stigmatized and cast irrational suspicion on these groups. Despite the best of intentions, however, Napolitano’s self-assurance is premature. DHS’s engagement of vulnerable communities emphasizes form over substance and, historically, has amounted to mere public relations. Outreach efforts conducted by the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), for instance, have long fallen short of repeated requests from vulnerable communities. Just last month, a coalition of over a dozen civil rights organizations issued a letter (PDF) to Secretary Napolitano reiterating a series of substantive and structural concerns, while proposing concrete solutions to fulfill the new administration’s promise to pay greater respect to the Constitution and civil liberties. DHS Engagement of Muslim communities: Smoke and mirrors

"Rethink Afghanistan, Part Six: Security" includes CIA officers, regional experts, and Afghan leaders who explain how U.S. war policies in Afghanistan undermine American security.Rethink Afghanistan (Part 6): Security By Derrick Crowe